Jacques

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"When the possibility to return and share my knowledge arose, I felt the need to help those who may not have been as fortunate as me."

Jacques

Current Country:

France

Country of Origin:

Cameroon

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“I migrated from Cameroon to France to pursue my higher education.”

“My arrival in France was not easy. I do not come from a rich family therefore I had to live with my cousin for the first two years. Whilst living with my cousin, I balanced my schooling with a babysitting job in order to fund my school and basic needs”

“What really stood out to me about French culture when I arrived was the level of organization; In Cameroon I had never see people eat and work on strict schedules! Having said that, my biggest shock was not a cultural one, but instead the confusion of my internal clock. In Cameroon, the sun rises at 6 AM and sets at 6 PM no matter the time of year; this was not the case living in Brest. I used to wake and sleep with the sun thus never had to use an alarm clock. The night before my first day of class in France I went to sleep expecting to wake at 5 AM and head to school. To my surprise, I ended up sleeping until 11 AM and was late for my first day!”

“I was in France for a few years already when I heard of a programme – the Temporary Return of Qualified Nationals - that provided opportunities for skilled Cameroonians to temporarily return to their home country and share the skills and knowledge they had developed abroad.”

“I really wanted to participate because I consider myself lucky to have been able to migrate to France. When the possibility to return and share my knowledge arose I thought it was a great opportunity to help those who may not have been as fortunate as me. I went back to Cameroon and gave a series of lectures using techniques that were foreign to most of the participants but it was very well received.”

“After leaving your home country to live abroad, your vision changes; you expect the same warm feeling you had when you lived there but the fact of the matter is it’s gone. Something inside you changes. You’re no longer Cameroonian nor are you French. Home is nowhere and everywhere at the same time.”